Universal joint.



v11.11111?. A UNIVERSAL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1906.

1,01 5,267. Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

I Zg 7 5mg/woz Ww@ fm @y UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

RUSSELL HUFF, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOPACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .A CORPORATION y0]?UNIVERSAL JOINT.'

Specication of Letters Patent.

PatentedJan. 16, 1912.

Application led June 27, 1906. Serial No. 323,604."`

in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Universal Joints, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to universal joints, and consists of a joint soconstructed as to permit a certain amount of end play of the shaftsections connected by the joints, in means for excluding dust and gritand maintaining the lubricant in contact with, the joint, as fully setforth hereinafter andas illustrated in the accompanying drawingjinwhich,- f

Figure l is a longitudinal section showing my improved joint as appliedto two sections of a shaft; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an outside view of one member of the joint; andFig. 4 an outside View of the other member of the joint. The twomembersB, C are adaptedefor attachment to the sections A, A of t :the shaft,ythe outer member B being keyedf 0r otherwise secured to the section A,andthe inner member C being socketed at one end to receive the end ofthe section A,to which it is firmly attached. The member B has a centralrecess a: adapted to receive the end of the member C, being preferablywidened or expanded at the outerx end to permit the member C to bebrought at an angle to the member B within said retcess, and at oppositesides of th recess m the member B is slotted, the saidlslots, as shownbest in Fig. 3, extending to t e outer end of the member B, althoughthis is not essential, and into said slots extend the ends of a pin Dwhich is seated transversely in the end of the inember C. The ends ofthis pin may fit the slots in the member B, but preferably, and asshown, an antifriction roller E is fitted to `rotate about each end ofthe pin D within the adjacent slot and has a concave inner face adapted`to rt ceive the concave outer face of a boss y upon the member C. Aspring H within the recess and bearing against the end of the recess oron the end of the power shaft A, also bears against the end of themember C and tends to hold the two members in proper relation to eachother. This spring is not under tension when the parts are in therelative position shown in Fig. 1. To conne the rollers E,

kE in place a sleeve F ineloses andiis secured to the member B, and therollers E, E, havel convex outer faces conforming lto the curved innerface of the sleeve, and

which also permitthe play of the member .C as it takes positions at-l anangle, to. the axis of the member B. n f s By` the arrangement of partsabove set forth the one member may beset at any desired angle to theother, and the two mem-A bers may rotate together in their angularpositions, as in ordinary forms of universal joints, but theconstruction set forth yhas ad vantages in various applications, as4forinstance, `in connection .with motor vehicles where the distanceybetween thev centers of the joints of the sectionalshafts varies, as

for-instance, when the bearingsof one :shaft are upon the body and otherupon the running gear franie of the vehicle, the cross pins sliding insuch case in the slide slots and permitting the requisite change ofposition of thetwoshaft sections. The arrangement is furtheradvantageous in,

avoiding the necessity .of nice fitting of the bearings ofthe twosections even when one does not play inrespect to. theother.

`-In the use of universal joints where it is essentialv tomaintain thejoints welllubricated and where iiexible covers are employed about thejoints, the said covers are apt' to be broken by theA projection of theoil and grease violently against the inside ofvsaid f covers, duetorentrif-ugal action. `To avoid this result Ivmake use of a rigidcover-J, preferably of metal, adapted to in closek the outer rnember B..and preferably in .the yform of a hollow spherical casing seated uponla spherical portion of the member B so as to playv freely about'thelatter, and recessed for the passage -of one end of the member B and themember C, as shown. When made of metal, the casing may consist of aplurality of flanged'` parts the flanges connected by bolts or rivets,and preferably there is a neck a around each opening or recess in thecasing to whichI may be attached one end of a iiexible'extensible sleeveK of lrubber fabric, or other suitable material which is att-ached atthe other `nd to the outside of the adjacent member aiipwhich willpermit the requisite -play of the artsin respect to each other whilepractically inclosing the two members of the joint so that thelubricantt'applied thereto cannot possiblyy escape.

i j i 4 In use the angular motion of one shaft section in respect to theother will simply cause a play of the casing about the outside member,while any end motion of the parts will be vpermitted without strain uponthe casing or the sleeves. The casing cannot be burst by the projectionof lubricant against the sameMand thel tendency of the lubricant will beto collect in the casingvand not to be projected against the exiblesleeves, which also serve to exclude dust and grit. The casingrotateswith the joint and hence it offers no resistance to the rotationof the shaft members.

' Without limiting myself to the details of construction shown, I claim:

l. In a 4universal joint, the combination with the rotating membersthereof, of a rigid spherical casing movably fitted to one offsaidmembers and having engagement therewith in zones on opposite sides of a"central plane and also having an opening through which the other of saidmembers extends, and said casing extendingin both directions beyond theconnections between said members and inclosing the same, for

the purpose set forth.

l2. In a universal joint, the combination with the two rotating membersthereof, of a rigid spherical casing movably tted to one of said membersand havin engagement therewith lin zones on opposite sides of a ycentral plane and also having an opening through which the other'ofsaidmembers extends, said second member tting said opening and adaptedto slide therein, and

said casing extending in both directions be yondthe connections betweensaid members and inclosing the same, for the' purpose set forth.

3. In a universal joint, the combination with the two rotating membersthereof, of a having an opening through which the other member extends,said casing extending in both directions beyond the joint and inclosingthe same, and flexible dust guards connected to said casing and to eachof said members, for the pur ose set forth.

t. In a universal joint, the combination with the two rotating membersthereof, of a rigid spherical casing movably fitted to one of saidmembers and having engagement therewith in zones on opposlte sides of acentral plane and also having an opening through which the other of saidmembers extends, and said casing comprising a plurality of sectionssecured together and extending in both directions beyond the connectionsbetween said members and inclosing the same for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with two shaft scc tions, of a universal coupling forsaid shaft sections, and a spherical casing surroundin said coupling androtating therewith antgi having a universal movement on one memberthereof and a sliding movement with respect to the other member, saidcasing extending in both directions beyond the joint and inclosing thesame, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with two shaft sections, of a universal coupling forsaid shaft sections, a spherical casing surrounding said- '4 couplingand rotating therewith and having a luniversal movement on one memberthereof and a sliding movement with respect to the other member, saidcasing extending in both directions beyond the joint and inclosing thesame, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL HUFF.

Witnesses:

MARK C. TAYLOR, H. M. ALLIsoN.

